Kiss’ Paul Stanley Discusses Rock Hall Snub and Making ‘Monster’

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominations list was recently revealed, and Kiss' name was absent from the ballot once again. The veteran rockers have been nominated in the past, but have yet to make the final cut for the Rock Hall, and singer Paul Stanley has a few thoughts on the matter.

Stanley tells Rolling Stone, "I think it's so transparent. You have the East Coast music mafia -- they are clearly more motivated by each other than reality. Filling their criteria is leaving them at this point some pretty slim pickings."

Despite his overall view of the Rock Hall, Stanley says the band would accept if chosen. He explains, "Of course [we would], because it matters to our fans. So I would be gracious. But honestly, it means nothing to me. My life is far beyond anything I could have anticipated and will continue to be so without a new doorstep."

Some of Stanley's current excitement stems from their new 'Monster' album. The singer, who also served as producer for the disc, says the band is more focused than in their past, and because of that it was important to make the record truly their own.

The vocalist says in the Q&A session, "It's important to make sure [Kiss] is everyone's primary focus. One way of doing that was to say 'no outside writers.' We recorded everything facing each other in a room. There's no substitute for collaboration within a band. We all like each other and enjoy each other's company and respect what each other is capable of doing."

Stanley says that he didn't end up producer by default, and adds, "I read some comment from Gene [Simmons] that he doesn't have the patience anymore, so he was happy to have me do it. The truth of the matter is, there wouldn't have been any albums if it had been any other way."